Poorly designed and maintained roadways can contribute to devastating car accidents, serious injuries, and life-altering consequences for accident victims. If you sustained injuries in a crash caused by an unsafe road in St. Louis, you could be entitled to financial compensation for how the injuries impacted your life.
However, securing that money might mean facing powerful insurance companies or government entities. The laws are different with injury claims involving government agencies, so it’s crucial to seek legal help from a dangerous roadways attorney who knows how to handle these complex and time-sensitive legal cases.
At Sumner Law Group, LLC, we have over 50 years of experience representing victims of dangerous road crashes in St. Louis. Put us to work on your case. We will advocate aggressively for every penny you deserve. Contact us today for a free consultation with our hazardous road accident lawyers.
Understanding Dangerous Roadway Accidents in St. Louis
Hazardous road design and roadway defects increase the likelihood of car accidents on Missouri streets and highways. These collisions can result in severe injuries to drivers, passengers, and pedestrians. Some of the most hazardous roadways in St. Louis include:
- Brentwood Boulevard near Highway 40 and 170 – The complicated collection of flyovers, surface roads, and on-ramps is particularly challenging to navigate.
- Gravois Avenue, Morganford Road, and Delor Street – Morganford Rd. and Delor St. intersect at an acute V-shaped angle. Gravois Ave. bisects both roads mere feet from that intersection. Traffic crosses the intersection in six different directions, making the area congested and confusing for inexperienced drivers.
- S. Hanley Road & Eager Road by Highway 40 – This area is challenging to navigate as the interchange from Eager Rd. to S. Hanley Rd. loops around a block of commercial buildings, and Highway 40 can only be accessed from certain directions.
- Chippewa Street at Jefferson Avenue and S. Broadway – S. Broadway briefly becomes four distinct roadways at its intersection with the east/west-running Chippewa St. and the north/south-running Jefferson, with traffic intersecting in six different directions.
Hazardous intersections and other dangerous roadways present unique challenges that increase the likelihood of a motor vehicle accident for even the most experienced drivers. A St. Louis car accident attorney can handle every aspect of your case while you focus on recovering from your injuries.
What Are Common Dangerous Road Hazards?
Road hazards come in many different forms. Some are inherent to a roadway’s design, while others are the product of unaddressed wear and tear. Examples of common and dangerous road hazards in St. Louis include:
- Potholes – Poorly maintained roads often feature potholes. These deep gashes in the road surface can damage vehicles and cause traffic accidents if drivers hit them directly or swerve to avoid them.
- Inadequate signage – Missing or unclear road signs can lead to confusion, increasing the risk of wrong turns, sudden stops, swerves, lane changes, or accidents at intersections.
- Lack of proper lighting – Insufficient lighting on roads, especially at night, reduces visibility, making it harder to anticipate hazards and obstacles ahead.
- Slippery surfaces – Wet, slick, or icy road conditions can lead to skidding, loss of control, and collisions on St. Louis roads.
- Poorly designed intersections – Complex or poorly designed intersections can create traffic congestion, driver uncertainty, and a higher likelihood of collisions.
- Construction zones – Road construction zones with shifting lanes, detours, and reduced speed limits can be difficult to navigate, requiring heightened attention and caution.
- Highway hazards – High-speed highways and freeways may have poor traffic control measures, narrowed lanes, lack of space for merging traffic, and limited safe stopping areas. All of these conditions, along with unsafe or reckless drivers, increase the risk of motor vehicle accidents.
Legal Recourse for Victims of Dangerous Roadways
People who suffer injuries in dangerous roadway accidents may have legal options to seek compensation. Chief among them is the right to file a personal injury claim against the responsible parties. Negligence claims help victims recover compensation for the injuries, losses, and expenses due to their injuries. However, they will need substantial proof that another party is to blame for the crash and their injuries. An experienced car accident lawyer can be a valuable ally in hazardous roadway accident claims.
Who’s Responsible for Dangerous Roadway Conditions?
Potentially liable parties for hazardous roadway accidents may include:
- Government entities – Local or state governments are typically responsible for designing roadways, maintaining them, and making repairs as necessary. Negligence in any of these duties could make them liable for an injury. Examples of negligence include dangerous design, inadequate signage, malfunctioning traffic signals, and unaddressed hazards like potholes.
- Contractors or construction companies – In some cases, contractors who work for construction or maintenance projects are responsible for accidents involving dangerous roads. To prevail in these claims, you must show that a contractor or construction company was responsible for the conditions that led to the accident, such as uneven surface, debris or equipment in the roadway, or inadequate signage.
- Utility companies – The companies responsible for installing and maintaining utilities along roadways may be liable for creating hazards like obstructed sightlines, exposed cables, and unsecured equipment.
- Property owners – If a dangerous condition on a property bordering a roadway was a factor in the accident, the property owner may be liable. This could apply in cases where owners fail to address obstructions on the road, such as fallen trees.
- Other at-fault parties – In some cases, dangerous roadways are just one of several factors that lead to a crash. Other road users might share liability if they behave negligently around these hazards by braking suddenly, swerving unexpectedly, or driving unpredictably.
Pursuing Compensation for Injuries Caused by Highway Hazards
In Missouri, individuals may be entitled to file personal injury claims if someone else’s negligence harms them. However, the deadline to file a claim is short — especially in personal injury cases against the government. Typically, you must begin any lawsuit against a government entity within 90 days of the accident. Failure to meet the notice requirement could lead to your case’s dismissal.
The statute of limitations for other personal injury claims is five years from the date of the accident or discovery of the injury.
Compensation in a successful car accident case can include money for:
- Medical expenses
- Lost wages
- Pain and suffering
- Lost earning capacity
- Long-term care expenses
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Permanent scarring and disfigurement
- Property damage
Talk to a Hazardous Road Accident Lawyer in St. Louis Now
Don’t wait to take legal action if you suffered injuries in an accident due to poor road conditions in St. Louis. The experienced hazardous road accident attorneys at Sumner Law Group, LLC will fight tirelessly for maximum compensation for your injuries and losses. Call or contact us today for a free consultation.
